


human like you

by vanogla (VioletLee)



Series: i love you more than you think [3]
Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Description-Heavy, Fluff, Humour, M/M, originally posted on tumblr (@vanogla), theres only 1 swear word so im rating it GA, they're on a date (but neither of them realise it), this is 1355 words of lowkey pining tbh ;_;
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 14:25:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16683319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletLee/pseuds/vanogla
Summary: Not for the first time, he’s glad that he has someone with him.Even if that someone had to be Evan.





	human like you

**Author's Note:**

> originally written 2 years ago for a story assignment where two characters have to cross an unstable bridge, now edited for the internet ^_^
> 
> ( title from the song Human - Darren Criss bc it fits them so well )

“D’you take all yer murder victims this far into a forest?”

 

A cloud of white appeared from his cracked, frost-ridden lips. His eyes followed it as it faded, but he didn’t stop wading through the seven inches of snow. He glanced at his companion- the other man’s presence producing the heat of a fire that Nogla so desperately craved. But he kept his distance.

 

“Nah, you’re a special one,” Evan said, grinning.

 

Nogla huffed and looked up. He may be taller than most, but those trees towering over his shivering frame made him feel tiny. The sky was dull and empty, and he wasn’t sure whether it was about to snow again or not.

 

By this time of the year, noon felt like night. There wasn’t much colour- everything came in shades of grey. If he were alone, the atmosphere would’ve been much more eerie. Not for the first time, he’s glad that he has someone with him.

 

Even if that someone had to be Evan. Nogla’s having a hard time keeping his crush to himself as it is.

 

He jerked in surprise as a clump of snow slipped from a branch above him and hit his shoulder.

 

Swallowing a yelp, he reminded himself he was safe. He shook off the snow and turned back down to his friend.

 

“Sorry to disappoint ye, but I’ll die from this cold b’fore we even reach the creek.”

 

Evan smiled at that. Following the marks his younger self had created years ago in the bark of trees, he continued to tramp through the snow with little effort while Nogla struggled to lift his foot every time it sunk.

 

They slowed down once the trees gradually became more slanted- unlike the straight, rigid beams they’d encountered at the start of the journey. A fallen tree lay across their path, disrupting the soldier-like stance the other trees were adopting. It didn’t look like it fell by natural causes, and Evan didn’t appear to be worried by its existence, so Nogla assumed that it had always been there.

 

The pair approached the tree and Evan finally turned to look at him, a knowing smirk on his face. Nogla knew he could not climb over it without help, especially not with his thick and stiff clothing.

 

He sighed, embarrassed. So much for keeping his distance.

 

He was expecting the Canadian to create a foothold with his hands, but to his complete surprise, Evan slid his arms around his waist and lifted.

 

 _Years of ice hockey-_ He suppressed the thought before it could fully form as he scrambled onto the tree, reluctant to leave Evan’s warmth but adamant on escaping his grasp.

 

Nogla sat down, ass freezing with his long legs dangling off the other side. When he turned back, he caught a mischievous glint in Evan’s eyes. Immediately he became wary, remembering the last time he saw that look.

 

His suspicions were confirmed when Evan deliberately turned left, walked all the way to the end of the tree, went around it and stood before him- barely containing his laughter.

 

Nogla made a noise of exasperation and hopped down, shaking the snow off his coat and smiling goofily despite himself. “What was t’at for?”

 

“Just a prank,” Evan hummed, still feeling euphoric. “Ok, all serious now.”

 

They continued their walk until Evan spotted a mark on a tree that was noticeably different from the others and paused. “There’s a ravine here,” he warned.

 

Nogla saw the rope bridge that connected the two ends and immediately tensed. It looked to be half a mile long, but that could just be his mind playing tricks on him. The handles of the bridge were rough, the ropes that served as railings worn to shreds from the harsh blows of the snowstorm just days before, and every year before that. The planks, made with wood from the trees in that same forest, appeared more resistant to the cold than the ropes had.

 

It looked stable enough, but Nogla was sure that if he fell he’d be a goner.

 

He peeked over the edge of the ravine. It was deep, but it wasn’t bottomless. The surface of the ravine was muddled with rocks and stones of various sizes, sides jagged and uneven. He thought he saw traces of red down there, but when he blinked it was gone.

 

“You go first,” Nogla said, letting out a shaky breath. Evan nodded, remembering Nogla’s fear of heights, before making a point to stomp across without difficulty. Nogla glared at his back.

 

Rolling his eyes, Evan deliberately strolled back onto the bridge. The bridge was swaying, but it was definitely holding his weight, and Nogla felt himself loosen up a little. “C’mon, it’s safe. Just don’t look down,” Evan assured him.

 

Hesitantly, he stepped on the bridge. He contemplated running right across to get it over with, but that thought quickly dissipated when the bridge swayed again and his heart leapt to his throat. Evan noticed his reluctance and extended an arm towards him, palm facing up.

 

“We can hold hands, if it helps,” he suggested. Under different circumstances, Nogla would reject an offer like that in a heartbeat out of pride. But this time, his gloved hand was reaching out to grip Evan’s before he’d even realised it.

 

They moved slowly, Evan going at Nogla’s pace. “My knees ar’ getting weak,” Nogla muttered as he risked a glance over the edge and saw that flash of red again.

 

“Knees weak, arms are heavy,” Evan laughed, swinging their hands back and forth. Nogla appreciated the distraction and kept his eyes forward, even when the bridge shook and they paused, regaining their balance.

 

It was terribly hard for Nogla to ignore how the heat shared from their joined hands brought a flush to his face. By now, his heart was beating rapidly for a complete different reason other than fear. Unfortunately, there was nothing else to look at, just more _trees_ and _sky_ and _snow_ , so he has no choice but to fix his gaze on their joined hands instead.

 

“Mom’s spaghetti,” he replied, grinning, and they repeated it back and forth between fits of laughter. Once they reached the other side, Evan let go of Nogla’s hand and Nogla covered up his disappointment with a good-natured bump to Evan’s shoulder in thanks. They took a moment to catch their breath before continuing their trek.

 

It had almost been an hour since they started their journey. Rays of sunlight had begun to shine through in slices, partially blocked by the tall trees and casting shadows around them. The gentle, golden heat felt like heaven on Nogla’s face.

 

“So, Evan, how long ‘ntil we reach our destination?” Nogla turned to ask him, beaming at the sight of Evan happily enjoying the glow as well.

 

“A bit more,” Evan replied, smiling softly, “so just keep ‘er goin’.”

 

Only a few steps later, Nogla cheered and pointed when he spotted the still creek in the distance. “Yep, that’s it,” Evan chuckled. It looked beautiful from afar, especially with the streaks of sunlight beaming down, reflecting off the shimmering water and bringing colour to a winter wonderland. The branches of the trees curved inwards like a welcoming embrace, creating the illusion of paradise.

 

Upon reaching it, Nogla realised that there was a thin layer of ice over the creek, and was filled with joy when he saw small fishes swimming beneath. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any better, he heard soft footsteps padding towards them, and was pleasantly surprised when a wet, black nose nuzzled his hand.

 

Evan crouched down to the white husky’s height. He discreetly reached into his pocket for a treat one-handed while fluffing its fur with the other.

 

“Hey there, Joe. It’s been a while,” Evan said, his voice a low murmur as he scratched it behind the ears.

 

Despite Evan’s quiet voice, Nogla didn’t miss a single word of his whisper. “Ye named him aft’r our joke?” he asked, just as softly, eyes glimmering.

 

Grinning, a shy blush bloomed across Evan’s cheeks, and Nogla has never felt so warm.


End file.
